The Raleigh, NC based four-piece Truth Club make a place for themselves in the extremes, and their 2019 debut album Not An Exit proves it. Pivoting between vocal-focused minimalism and a more traditional, energetic full-band sound, the group’s distinctiveness is in their exploration of dynamics and movement. Travis Harrington’s voice expressively parallels the motion of the instruments, sometimes pronounced and soaring, other times hovering in a dark murmur. His lyrics seem similarly drawn to the tension of opposition, battling between optimism and despair, nostalgia and reality. The image-based confessionalism hangs over the warbling guitars, at times creating an intensity that is unsettling and slightly dissonant, but becomes sweetened in moments of accompaniment by Yvonne Chazal.
Although Truth Club’s form never deviates far from indie-rock conventions, the group avoids formulaic instrumentation and predictability. Drummer Elise Jaffe crafts nimble rhythms with bassist Kameron Vann, their harmony a deft foundation for the wavering synths and frenetic guitars that spiral and collide with one another. Together, Travis, Elise, Kameron, and Yvonne continue to sharpen this dynamic. In May 2022 they began work on what will be their second album, poised for release sometime in the near future.
